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DAVIE—It takes a lot to irritate Dolphins defensive end Charles Harris, an irrepressibly upbeat guy who has taken every typical rookie frustration with stride.

But one thing is starting to irritate him. He came here to pile up sacks can’t get over the fact that he has yet to get one as the team heads into its fourth preseason game. He’s been getting in his own way a bit, slowing himself down by overthinking, and he’s ready to break free from that Thursday at Minnesota.

Harris has been getting caught up in dilemmas about which moves to do in which situations. He sees an extra man in the backfield, assumes he’s been put there specifically to chip block him, and he starts wondering if he’s lined up correctly.

Enough. Just go.

Miami defensive line coach Terrell Williams wants to drive those internal questions out of Harris’ head and replace them with simply, “Go.” He’s been telling him that since May, and it’s finally clicking. That’s good timing, too, since Harris should get extended playing time against the Vikings and might even start.

“He’s been saying that a lot recently, but it took a moment for him to sit me down and talk to me and say, ‘You just can’t think. You’re not a thinker when it comes to this game,’” Harris said this morning. “My instincts are starting to come back. I’m feeling really good.

“It’s really him continuing to tell me each day, ‘Don’t think. Just go today.’ That’s what it’s all about. That’s what I’ve been doing lately, and I’ve been very successful at my job.”

The good thing for Harris is that the Dolphins are in position to give him time. Unlike many first-round picks, he’s not expected to be an instant starter. They took him 22nd overall out of Missouri with an eye on their long-term future, knowing Cameron Wake and Andre Branch were entrenched as starters this season.

They still need something from Harris this year, and that depends mainly on how quickly he develops. It also hinges on the health of Wake and Branch. Those two were playing rough 60 and 75 percent of the defensive snaps, respectively, late last year.

His physical ability, including an ultra-quick first step, made him a first-round candidate, and the Dolphins have seen that since he took the field for Organized Team Activities. That’s never been in question.

“He knows it’s not an easy league to play in, but he has all the talent to be successful in this league, that’s for sure,” Branch said.

All of the veterans in his unit, where the average age excluding rookies is 29, have taken on mentor roles with Harris. Wake and Branch were both happy to have him even while seeing clearly the organization’s plan is for him to ultimately replace one of them, and Ndamukong Suh has been heavily involved lately. Harris said he’s been going to Suh a lot over the past week or so and getting a lot of insight on pass rushing.

The training camp experience is usually turbulent for rookies, some of whom have seldom been in prior situations where they’re overmatched physically. Harris has had the ideal attitude to ride out those ups and downs.

“I don’t know what downs you’re talking about,” he shot back. “I ain’t got no downs. It depends on how you look at it. It ain’t no down days; it’s a matter of me going back to the drawing board and correcting myself and learning what I need to do next time. The whole thing has been a learning experience. As it came to a close, I got better each and every day.

“Just this week was when I started feeling like, ‘OK, I’m with these guys and I’m in this pack with these guys, so let’s get it.’ It took until now.”

Join our reporters for a special evening as they talk NFL with Dolphins Pro Bowl Guard Jermon Bushrod, two-time Super Bowl champion Bob Kuechenberg and former Dolphins Pro Bowl linebacker Kim Bokamper on Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 6:30 p.m. at Bokamper’s Fort Lauderdale. The event is free to the first 100 people and will include raffles, light bites and drinks.